Alumnus surpasses 100000 target for cancer research

At the time of writing, Dr Mark Sims (pictured), who graduated from the University in 2013 with a Medicine MBChB, has raised a staggering £109,192 for Cancer Research UK through his JustGiving page.

Mark was diagnosed with stage four malignant melanoma in February 2015 but refused to allow the cancer to get the better of him. Almost immediately after diagnosis, Mark began blogging, fundraising and sharing his experiences through social media, being named Twitter Doctor of the Year in 2016 by the British Medical Association.

Sadly, in the early days of the new year, Mark was told that there was nothing else that could be done regarding his treatment and that his battle with melanoma would soon be over. Eager to turn his negative news into a positive and ensure that other sufferers can be helped, Mark announced on 7 January 2017 that he would like to see his already outstanding fundraising total reach £100,000. By 8 January 2017, Mark had already surpassed his target.

Mark has retained close links to the University, returning to campus on a number of occasions, notably to speak to current medical students as well as to take part in the Leicester Half Marathon. In 2016 Mark was awarded the Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award in recognition of the bravery he has shown by being open about the challenges he has faced and the selflessness he has demonstrated throughout his treatment.

You can read more about Mark’s story through his blog, Facebook and Twitter accounts.